
Lymington Lifeboat first on scene to assist with severe asthma attack.
At 12.55pm on Saturday 7 October Lymington Lifeboat launched at the request of Lymington Harbour Master to a casualty in need of urgent assistance. A rib was steaming towards the Yacht Haven with an 18 year old woman having a severe asthma attack.
The ambulance had been called by HM Coastguard and asked to meet the rib at Lymington Yacht Haven. The Lifeboat arrived on scene just 5 minutes after launch, came alongside the rib and started to assess the casualty.
The young woman had been sailing in the Solent when she started having difficulty breathing and experiencing chest pains. The yachts skipper had put out a Pan Pan distress call to Solent Coastguard asking for urgent assistance. A nearby support rib was used to evacuate the woman as fast as possible and bring her to shore.
Initial assessment by the Lifeboat crew confirmed that the casualty had a dangerously high respiratory rate and required immediate medical care.
The Lifeboat crew set about calming and reassuring the casualty, whilst initiating treatment. The casualty was handed over to an Ambulance crew at 1.30pm.
Helmsman Phil Baker later commented ‘After experiencing a severe asthma attack for around 45 minutes, the casualty was in desperate need of medication and oxygen. We are relieved to have been there to administer this care and stabilise the patient. As RNLI volunteers we are here to answer the call to rescue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in our local communities.’
Crew: Phil Baker (Helm), Greg Pachany, Simon Nuding, Gunnar Christensen.
RNLI Contact details:
Jo Styles, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, Lymington Lifeboat Station (07725) 640871 [email protected]
Paul Dunt, Regional Media Officer, SE and London (07785) 296252 [email protected]
For enquiries outside normal business hours contact the RNLI duty press officer on (01202) 336789
RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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